The Fallen (Part One)

Turmoil

Loki stood at the front window as the sky darkened and the snow began again along with a howling wind. His mind kept going back to his last memories he had before waking up in a bed in the woods. His father's face his brother's as he tumbled into the darkness of the stars and his mind. He gripped the window sill, pain taking over trying to remember there was more but he could not push through the pain. The sill cracked beneath his fingers the wood splintering off in bits. The anger flowing up to him and crashing over him knocking the wind from his chest. His eyes pressed closed a line of tears escaping down his cheek.
He had tried to prove his worth and he made a mess of everything.

Nina came into the room from her hot bath feeling less like she wanted to kill Loki and hoping things would get easier between them. She noticed Loki standing at the window his head bowed his eyes closed she could hear the splintering of the wood.
"Loki?" She asked walking up to him pain washing over his face. She cupped his face in her hands."What's wrong?"
Loki pulled his eyes open to look into hers calming at the softness of her touch.
Nina had never seen loneliness and the emptiness she saw in his green eyes. It made her breath catch and she ran her thumb over a tear that came from the corner of those eyes.
"Tell me. " she whispered close to his face. She watched as he thought about it and then decided.
"A moment of weakness nothing more. " Loki had almost unburdened himself to her the tenderness in her eyes the softness of her hands. But that was the very last thing he could do she was S.H.I.E.L.D and a mortal he could not trust her completely.
"Are you sure you wouldn't want to talk about it"? She removed her hands
"No, thank you, I am well." Loki walked away strolling around the room picking things up and putting them back.
Nina sighed.
"I'm going to start dinner I hope you like roast." She made her way to the kitchen rummaging through the refrigerator and cabinets.
Loki came up behind her to look over her shoulder.
"A roast what?" He asked his hands behind his back.
"Umm cow well a peice of cow." She shrugged. "I'm not sure what part. " she took the meat and placed it on a cutting board.
"Small animal your cows. " he looked unimpressed.
"It tastes better then it looks." She pulled a long knife out.
"I'd hope so. "
"You can always starve ya know. " she made a face at him.
"I am actually, starving I mean." "Ok ok let me cook then. " She began cutting the fat from the meat.
The knife slide of the meat and across her finger.
"Shit!" She gasped.
"Are you alright?" Loki peered over her shoulder looking at the large cut on index finger.
She grabbed a nearby towel pressing it hard into the cut.
"Let me see." Loki turned her to him.
"I hate blood."she moaned. "I fine with other people's blood just not mine. "
Loki lifted the towel from her finger it was oozing blood.
"Nina can you try something for me?"
Nina peeked out of one eye at him.
"What?"
Use your energy over your wound."
"Why?" She opened both to look at him.
"Just do it please. "
"Oh alright." She held her other hand palm down over her finger took a deep breath and released her blue flames from her hand.
"Think of it healing, see it." Loki encouraged watching her finger.
Loki watched the wound close slowly.
Nina popped her eyes open to stare at it.
"I felt it close!" She was totally awed. Her eyes then rolled back in her head she could hear Loki calling her name in concern then fear then silence.

Loki swung Nina into his arms taking her to the couch placing her down and kneeling beside her.
"Nina can you hear me?" He called. He felt guilt and hated it. He knew she knew little about her powers but he had a theory if he was right..
Nina eyes fluttered.
"What. Was. That." She breathed struggling to pull her eyes open.
"I did not realize it would take so much for you to heal. " he frowned.
"I get tired after I expel it but that felt different."
"I had a feeling that you were the reason for my quick heal. I heal fast but your energy helped it along. "
"Really?"
"Possibly." He shrugged.
Nina sat up slowly and he helped her to stand. "Are you feeling better?"
"Tired but ok and if we want to eat I have to cook." She smiled weakly and he followed her close into the kitchen just incase.
Nina set back to work being extra careful with the knife as she trimmed the meat and tossed it into a pot.
"I have never thought that I could heal."
"It is interesting." And useful he thought. To have her to heal in battle would change things.
"Yes, I guess." She's tossed carrots into the pot.
"You do not sound as if it is."
Nina turned to look at him her head tilted to the side.
"Healing a cut is different then healing a large wound external or internal. I pass out now from energy loss."
"You need endurance. Practice." Loki disliked the feeling in his chest once again feeling like he was pushing her to do something that may hurt her. But what choice did he have really. " I can help you."
Nina considered him for a moment before answering.
"Why should I?"
"If you hadn't noticed there are more then you mortals in this universe you should be ready to defend yourself and others if and when that time comes that Midguard is seen as an asset."
Nina didn't like that he was right.
"But how?"
"Leave that to me we can start tomorrow if you wish?" He tried to look like he didn't care either way.
"What do you get out of this though?" She couldn't figure out why he wanted to help.
"I am here who knows for how long. You have been kind and I would like to repay the favor."
Nina didn't believe it for a moment.
"And?"
"You may turn out to be an asset to me at some point. If some one comes looking for me you might be my only defense. " he told a partial truth. He still had his strength and skills with a blade just no magic.
"Sounds more convincing." She smiled. "Ok it's a deal."
Loki sighed
"Good. Now how long before we can eat.?" Loki smiled.
"It's going to be a bit."

The evening passed slowly Nina watched Loki devour the roast, potatoes and carrots like he had never eaten and he was quite involved in the decimation of his meal. He enjoyed the ice tea she set by him and before she knew it he was leaning back in his chair sighing.
"I must say that was very pleasing."
"Thank you? She smiled.
"Yes, thank you." Loki nodded appreciatively.
"Do you have anything like that in Asgard?" She asked curiously.
Nina's watched his eyes cloud at the mention of his home.
"Yes ,but not completely." Loki stood pushing away the pain of his memories and made his way to the front window to look out into the dark.
"I'm sorry if I upset you by talking about it." Nina said from the kitchen feeling the urge to go to him but didn't.
No, it's fine my issues with my family are well know by S.H.I.E.L.D." He was not happy about that.
"My friend Jane was the one who found Thor after he was banished."
"Ahhhh Jane Parker, yes I know Jane. She bewitched my brother." Loki frowned at himself in the windows reflection.
"That's what love is?" Clearing away dinner.
"Love." He spat out as if it was poison.
"You don't sound as if your a fan."
Loki shook his head.
"No, it's weakness and it leads you to pain and suffering."
"That's a rough view." Nina came to stand behind him looking at him in the window he looked back.
"I feel it is true."
"I don't know." She shrugged. "But I hope not."
"Then you will be disappointed I am afraid." Loki walked away not wanting to talk on the subject any longer. " I think I will retire early good night to you." He disappeared into his room closing the door with a click.
Nina watched him go she obviously hit a nerve maybe he had a bad relationship, she didn't know why but that made her feel jealous. She laughed to herself.
"No way, not going there." She whispered.

Loki undressed and stepped into the steaming shower the heat relieving his tense muscles as he relaxed into it.
Nina's talk of his brother's love for Jane had angered him. In this yet again he felt inadequate. It was not that he did not have the rare sexual conquest but it went no further than that and did nothing to stir in him what his brother seemed to feel for Jane. He felt like he was always running a step behind to the almighty Thor and it angered him.
The rainbow bridge and Bifrost were gone and they believed him dead ,did they mourn or did they brush his sacrifice aside.
Or worse was he forgotten.
Loki brushed the thoughts aside his main concern now was Nina and improving her power he would have need of it he had no doubt. The when and where he had no idea but it was a start and he would learn about it and go from there. At least it was something.

Nina slipped into bed with a book of old fairy tales her father always had read to her each time she came to the cabin. She wondered how he would feel about what had happened to her so far. She smiled knowing that he would have called S.H.I.E.L.D and turned him over in a wink of the eye. Her father was the most predictable man ever and he followed the rules sometimes till it made her want to scream. He always said she was her mother's daughter but she didn't know, her mother had died a year after she was born during a bombing in Afghanistan she was a field doctor. Her father had never really recovered from her death and being left with a one year old daughter who was so much like her down to her red hair.
He had done a good job he was a good father except for his over protectiveness. She just couldn't follow all the rules.
Now again she was breaking the rules.
She should have called immediately and she shouldn't be working on powers S.H.I.E.L.D didn't know about. But she was going to and it excited her though she wasn't sure she could trust Loki. What did she have to loose?